âKing Charles Demanding Entrance at the Beverley Gate, Hull, April 23, 1642â
Arnald's career lasted over fifty years. He experimented with many different subjects, from landscapes and seascapes to mythological and history painting. He travelled extensively around Britain and took a particular interest in medieval sites. He enjoyed considerable success in his lifetime and first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1788, becoming a full member in 1810. The scene depicted here shows the refusal in 1642 by Hull's Governor, Sir John Hotham, to let King Charles I enter Hull at the city gate. Clarendon's âHistory of the Rebellion', Book V, records the story, one of the acts that led to the outbreak of the English Civil War: 'Sr. John Hotham from ye Wall acquainted the King that He durst not open the Gates, being instructed by the Parliament. His Majesty replyed, that if He persisted in ye resolution, He shouâd be obliged to proclaim him a Traitor'. This episode was depicted by many artists and there are several versions, both oils and prints, in the Ferensâ collection.
